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Jul 27, 2011
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olsen beyond al qaeda's core leadership in pakistan and the al qaeda affiliates in yemen which terrorist group in your view poses the greatest threat to the country? >> i would say that beyond the al qaeda leadership in pakistan, its presence in yemen, probably the next most significant terrorist threat may emanate from the al qaeda presence in somalia. in terms of the willingness and apparent ability or at least the intent to strike outside of that particular country. we know that country, that group has successfully mounted an attack in uganda, and the apparent ability of the regional affiliates such as that to outside of the borders that country think poses a significant threat. but the threat goes beyond even just al qaeda of course and its affiliates. to two other groups such as hezbollah. so i think again, i have to say that i am not in a position at nctc now so i approach these types of questions with some humility and some deference to the professionals who are looking at these questions on a daily basis. >> one last question if i might. earlier this year undersecretary colin fro
olsen beyond al qaeda's core leadership in pakistan and the al qaeda affiliates in yemen which terrorist group in your view poses the greatest threat to the country? >> i would say that beyond the al qaeda leadership in pakistan, its presence in yemen, probably the next most significant terrorist threat may emanate from the al qaeda presence in somalia. in terms of the willingness and apparent ability or at least the intent to strike outside of that particular country. we know that...
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Jul 27, 2011
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i also wanted to ask the role of pakistan. pakistan is a key regional actor in central asia. right now our relationship with pakistan is complicated. pakistan is obviously an important player in terms of regional stability in central asia. can you describe the -- how the pressler amendment has affected our relationship with pakistan? and how do you feel the united states needs to interact currently with pakistan and in the future? how do you feel we should use the aid as a weapon of influence based on the current relationship that we have now with pakistan? >> yeah, thank you, senator. i think pakistan is an enormously important country in the central command area of operations. in fact, when i was the acting commander, i considered it to be among probably the top one or two countries to be addressed. and we've had as you described it yourself, a very complex relationship with them. i think it's one we need to stick with. and to your point about the pressler amendment. that was a period in our history where we made a determination that we had such stark differences with pakis
i also wanted to ask the role of pakistan. pakistan is a key regional actor in central asia. right now our relationship with pakistan is complicated. pakistan is obviously an important player in terms of regional stability in central asia. can you describe the -- how the pressler amendment has affected our relationship with pakistan? and how do you feel the united states needs to interact currently with pakistan and in the future? how do you feel we should use the aid as a weapon of influence...
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Jul 27, 2011
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despite counterterrorism pressure against pakistan including the successful strike against osama bin laden the growth remains dangerous and vengeful. at the same time the threat from al qaeda's affiliate's and adherents around the world has increased and presents particular challenges. i am especially concerned about the threat to the united states homeland from al qaeda in the air arabian peninsula, aqap as we cut, as well as terrorist safe havens in somalia and elsewhere. this means, at least to me, that this is a crucial time for our counterterrorism establishment to be at full strength and not to be without the leader. nctc is a linchpin of this establishment. so i treat least the president has moved quickly to nominate mr. olsen, an individual serving in a senior intelligence community position today to take the helm of this organization. let me take just a moment to read the first paragraph from a letter of support from mr. olsen's nomination written by general keith alexander, that richter of the national security agency. this is a quote. "i am writing to wholeheartedly endors
despite counterterrorism pressure against pakistan including the successful strike against osama bin laden the growth remains dangerous and vengeful. at the same time the threat from al qaeda's affiliate's and adherents around the world has increased and presents particular challenges. i am especially concerned about the threat to the united states homeland from al qaeda in the air arabian peninsula, aqap as we cut, as well as terrorist safe havens in somalia and elsewhere. this means, at least...
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Jul 1, 2011
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in pakistan. without there being any american commitment actually to be there to protect us against that retaliation if that occurred. those are pieces of history. so many times those of you have had me. >> know this is my little clicÉe but i'm going to repeat it anyway because sometimes clichÉs are good and that is americans do a lot of things very well. america is a great nation which has contributed immensely to human progress, the idea of liberty and the idea freedom and the idea of democracy modern capitalism and globalization and everything and then of course more than any other nation in at least a 200 years. there is one thing americans don't do. two things americans don't do well. one is history. the american attitude to history is you know joe, he is history. [laughter] bar or all history is bunk. that is the attitude. there was a young man who introduced himself as a history of -- and i said when i was teaching this country they rob him was finding enough kids who wanted a history maj
in pakistan. without there being any american commitment actually to be there to protect us against that retaliation if that occurred. those are pieces of history. so many times those of you have had me. >> know this is my little clicÉe but i'm going to repeat it anyway because sometimes clichÉs are good and that is americans do a lot of things very well. america is a great nation which has contributed immensely to human progress, the idea of liberty and the idea freedom and the idea of...
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Jul 5, 2011
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we remain concerned about stability in pakistan and the security of that country's nuclear arsenal. we are attempting to counter terrorist threats emanating from pakistan, east africa, yemen and many other locations. into this confluence of economic and national security commitments, the president has involved our nation in a civil war in libya. we find ourselves in a situation where congress is debating vast cuts in domestic programs to make essential progress on the deficit, even as president obama has initiated an expensive, open-ended military commitment in a country that his defense secretary has said is not of vital interest. any member who has been here to witness the last ten years should understand that war is an inherently precarious enterprise that is conducive to accidents, to unintended consequences, and miscalculations. the last ten years have also illuminated clearly that initiating wars and killing the enemy is far easier than achieving political stability and reconstructing a country when the fighting is over. this is why going to war should be based on u.s. vital i
we remain concerned about stability in pakistan and the security of that country's nuclear arsenal. we are attempting to counter terrorist threats emanating from pakistan, east africa, yemen and many other locations. into this confluence of economic and national security commitments, the president has involved our nation in a civil war in libya. we find ourselves in a situation where congress is debating vast cuts in domestic programs to make essential progress on the deficit, even as president...
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Jul 15, 2011
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. >> caller: i just wonder what about all of this money that we're sending to pakistan? and afghanistan? why send all of that money over there? get our troops out of all of these other countries that we need them in. germany and philippines and all of the other places anymore. >> host: here's leslie -- excuse me, tammy in leslie, kentucky. >> caller: yes, they need to bring our troops home and stop spending the millions of billions. they need to help out the people on social security. it's hard to make it especially when you have a family. >> host: florida, linda on the independent line. where do things stand with the debt and deficit negotiations? >> caller: i think personally it's all bull crap. you've got people that is -- has been on the social security because they are either disabled or whatever. bring our troops home. we don't need to support pakistan. look what they did to us, we don't need to support iran. bring us home. get us out of that situation. we have people out here that fought for the country. now they are going to suffer because he wants to cut back th
. >> caller: i just wonder what about all of this money that we're sending to pakistan? and afghanistan? why send all of that money over there? get our troops out of all of these other countries that we need them in. germany and philippines and all of the other places anymore. >> host: here's leslie -- excuse me, tammy in leslie, kentucky. >> caller: yes, they need to bring our troops home and stop spending the millions of billions. they need to help out the people on social...
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Jul 18, 2011
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it becomes all the more so now that relations between pakistan and the u.s. have become so fraught and tangled. >> very interesting. thank you very much. back to our main story tonight, tickets to tomorrows a counter to see rupert murdoch, james murdoch, and the committee, he might have more tickets than they let the games, but what will the committee want to know? days do not get much bigger for committee members then tomorrow, do they? >> no, it is a rather dramatic it. it is like one of those days where you have the streak of back-to-back football matches on television. we saw a bit after 12:00 with paul stevenson resigning last night at the home affairs committee. then at all switches to the culture committee, starting off with a double header. rupert murdoch, his son, followed by rebecca birks. it is going to be the most interesting moment. strongest thing is that in 42 years, all the newspapers in this country, rupert murdoch's has never answered questions from our economy select committee. the committee is going to meet and decide thinking being that i
it becomes all the more so now that relations between pakistan and the u.s. have become so fraught and tangled. >> very interesting. thank you very much. back to our main story tonight, tickets to tomorrows a counter to see rupert murdoch, james murdoch, and the committee, he might have more tickets than they let the games, but what will the committee want to know? days do not get much bigger for committee members then tomorrow, do they? >> no, it is a rather dramatic it. it is like...
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Jul 1, 2011
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against taliban and the kind of structure that we need to support going after al qaeda on the border of pakistan and afghanistan. perhaps it is time to shut down $17 billion worth of money going for reconstruction projects when our track record really stings when it comes to reconstruction projects. i hope that you all will convince me that i have become cynical and angry and frustrated about the way we are spending money in theater. i am looking for good news, and i hope we hear some today. but i think it is time for a guest check because i have too many people in missouri saying why can we fix this road? then i look at the practice we are building in afghanistan and it is hard to explain to them why we cannot fix that road. because we cannot afford it, but yet we can throw money away in afghanistan on projects that are not sustainable. if anybody had spent time thinking about it in the first place, they would have realized that. that kind of accountability has to be present. i am pleased that we have a number of witnesses today that are going to testify to contracting in theater. let me say th
against taliban and the kind of structure that we need to support going after al qaeda on the border of pakistan and afghanistan. perhaps it is time to shut down $17 billion worth of money going for reconstruction projects when our track record really stings when it comes to reconstruction projects. i hope that you all will convince me that i have become cynical and angry and frustrated about the way we are spending money in theater. i am looking for good news, and i hope we hear some today....
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Jul 6, 2011
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and the other question, on the board over pakistan and afghanistan, there's been some reporters, pakistan has been complaining about some forces crossing the border from afghanistan and attacking in pakistan and the yen response we've been getting is, you know, vague comments about how the boarder is porous. can you be more specific about exactly what's going on there? are these complaints valid? and what are you doing to try to address those issues? >> on the afghanistan-pakistani cross-border issues. they, again, on the border region, it's very, very rugged terrain. it is very, very porous, both ways, and some of those forces that reside in that area move across the area and have gone both ways back and forth. both the afghan security forces and the pakistani military forces coordinate our efforts along that border to be able to defeat those forces as effectively as we can but that -- it goes both ways and we have again done a pretty good job coordinating our efforts to defeat that threat. >> can you follow up on the reintegration question? the numbers, how many do you need to reintegra
and the other question, on the board over pakistan and afghanistan, there's been some reporters, pakistan has been complaining about some forces crossing the border from afghanistan and attacking in pakistan and the yen response we've been getting is, you know, vague comments about how the boarder is porous. can you be more specific about exactly what's going on there? are these complaints valid? and what are you doing to try to address those issues? >> on the afghanistan-pakistani...
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Jul 1, 2011
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the critical commercial link between -- pakistan and afghanistan. it provides a route to the capital city of kabul for improved government, trade, health care, and education. i want to say a few words around the circumstances. as a picture shows, the topographical and geologically features of this area within the construction work has occurred are some of the most challenging we faced in afghanistan. the security environment has made this the most dangerous project our company has attempted. suffered 21 killed, 51 wounded and four missing. security as a percentage of the overall project cost was around 30%. to compare other parts, security costs average oftentimes 8-10% for overall project costs. one road alone experienced 147 direct attacks, and 40 mine and other ordnance explosions. the traditional metrics the government measures the efficacy of projects -- to not pay the full picture. and lack of existing infrastructure and technical capacity, and experience of afghan companies, the need for capacity building and -- measuring success just in scop
the critical commercial link between -- pakistan and afghanistan. it provides a route to the capital city of kabul for improved government, trade, health care, and education. i want to say a few words around the circumstances. as a picture shows, the topographical and geologically features of this area within the construction work has occurred are some of the most challenging we faced in afghanistan. the security environment has made this the most dangerous project our company has attempted....
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Jul 21, 2011
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but does anyone believe the war in afghanistan has made pakistan more safe? no, it has not. in fact, it's more fragile now than it's ever been. the threat from afghanistan is gone. bring the troops home. eugene robertson is not a conservative. we see him on tv all the time. and i will say that he nailed it with this editorial. the threat from afghanistan is gone, bring him home. mr. speaker, as i close always on the floor of the house, for these little girls, who have lost their father, and all the children who have lost their fathers and moms over in afghanistan and iraq, i ask god to please bless our men and women in uniform. i ask god to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. i ask god in his loving arms to hold the families who have given a child dying for freedom in afghanistan and iraq. i ask god to please bless the house and senate we will do what is right in the eyes of god for his people. i ask god to give strength, wisdom, and courage to mr. obama he will do what is right in the eyes of god for his people. and i'll say three times, god please. g
but does anyone believe the war in afghanistan has made pakistan more safe? no, it has not. in fact, it's more fragile now than it's ever been. the threat from afghanistan is gone. bring the troops home. eugene robertson is not a conservative. we see him on tv all the time. and i will say that he nailed it with this editorial. the threat from afghanistan is gone, bring him home. mr. speaker, as i close always on the floor of the house, for these little girls, who have lost their father, and all...
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Jul 6, 2011
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forward-looking independent assessment of the current and perspective situation on the ground in afghanistan and pakistan. not later than 120 days after enactment of this act, the entity described in subsection 8, shall submit to the president and the congress, a report. sense of congress, it is the sense of congress that the entity should be modeled on the iraq study group. section 8127, not more than $200 million may be expended -- the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise. mr. carter: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 31 printed in the congressional record offered by mr. carter of texas. strike lines 6 through 9 relating to military musical units. the chair: the gentleman from texas is recognized for five minutes. mr. carter: i rise to address an issue i think is very important to the patriotic men and women who fight and defend our country. representative mccollum, in good graces, asked that we restrict the military band funding by $120 million and in an attempt to help with the savings. but the congressio
forward-looking independent assessment of the current and perspective situation on the ground in afghanistan and pakistan. not later than 120 days after enactment of this act, the entity described in subsection 8, shall submit to the president and the congress, a report. sense of congress, it is the sense of congress that the entity should be modeled on the iraq study group. section 8127, not more than $200 million may be expended -- the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas...
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Jul 11, 2011
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al qaeda was dismantled and sent into western pakistan. this is not a nation-building exercise. this is a counter-terror exercise. we do not need 100,000 troops on the ground of the cost we're paying today in order to get the job done. [applause] thank you. i am here to tell you the future of the united states is not going to be determined in the prairies of afghanistan. the future of the united states is going to be determined by how well-prepared we are to compete in a highly competitive 21st century. that battle will be waged across the pacific ocean. we have some work to do. as you walk out of this building, i want you to remember why we're in this race. it is because it is about the generation and we're about to pass the country to and the condition in which they will find it. my priorities will be debt and spending. we have no choice. trajectory we're on is unsustainable. launching a new industrial revolution is within our grasp. it has happened before. we're optimistic and can do it again. we need leadership and a game plan. number three, we have to get our position right
al qaeda was dismantled and sent into western pakistan. this is not a nation-building exercise. this is a counter-terror exercise. we do not need 100,000 troops on the ground of the cost we're paying today in order to get the job done. [applause] thank you. i am here to tell you the future of the united states is not going to be determined in the prairies of afghanistan. the future of the united states is going to be determined by how well-prepared we are to compete in a highly competitive 21st...